4/30/16
Game 1: Kennewick 13, Hanford 1
(Pasco, WA) The Kennewick Lions needed a win over Hanford to clinch the MCC 3A Championship and an automatic birth to the State Regional. Hanford was already locked in to the 3rd/4th place play-in game against Kamiakin while 2nd place Southridge was hoping for a Falcons upset. The Suns could tie Kennewick with a Lions loss and if they beat Walla Walla to force a 1-game play-off with Kennewich for the top spot.
Southridge’s hopes were crushed in the top of the 1st as Kennewick wasted no time in jumping on the Falcons. They would send 11 batters to the plate scoring 7 on 3 hits, 4 walks and 2 errors. Blake Loftus led off with a base hit, stole 2nd followed by 3 walks, 1 intentional to score the 1st run. A sac fly from Andrew Townsend scored the 2nd run but with 2 outs the Falcons had a chance to limit the damge.
The Lions starting pitcher Trent Sellers then belted a 2RBI double which was followed by a base hit from Tyler Detloff and a pair of errors scored 3 more for the insurmountable lead of 7-0. The Lions added 3 more in the 2nd on 2 hits including a lead-off hit by Dillon Plew and another RBI double by Sellers for his 2nd double and 3rd RBI in 2 innings. Sellers would go 3-3 leading off the 4th inning with a triple, ironically that would be the only inning the Lions didn’t score a run. Garrett Dixon had a good day at the plate walking 3 times, scoring twice while going 1-1 with an RBI. Charlie DeWitt added an RBI double for the Lions in the 3rd.
Hanford had a chance to get on the board in the bottom of the 2nd trailing 10-0, Connor Sutey would lead off with a walk, Trevor Smith followed with a single after a strike-out Desmond Samples singled to load the bases with 1 out. Sellers then faked a throw to 2nd from the mound and fired a throw to 1st getting Samples who was too far off of 1st for the 2nd out. A fly-out to right would end the threat with Hanford still scoreless. The pick-off play would also be named our ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game.
The Falcons would finally get on the board when Dustin Durflinger led off with a triple with a blast to right-center. He would score on a grounder to 2nd base by Brian Sands.
Our Tommy Lowe of the Greene Realty Group Players of the Game went to Trent Sellers of Kennewick and to Dustin Durflinger for Hanford. Kennewick clinched the league title and a Regional berth. They will play the winner between Southridge and the winner of the play-in game between Hanford and Kamiakin for seeding into Regionals.
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Game 2: Southridge 9, Walla Walla 6
(Pasco, WA) Walla Walla had everything to play for and Southridge knew exactly where they stood as far as post-season goes but it was the Suns playing like they could advance with a victory. The Blue Devils needed a win to guarantee at least a tie with Richland for the all-important 1st place. The Suns were locked in to 2nd place and will play the winner of the 3A play-in game for a chance to get to regionals.
Southridge would strike first in the 2nd inning getting to you Wa-Hi starter Mitchell Lesmeister. The Suns would put up 4 runs with Ryan Sanders leading off with a double, Jake Kirchoff would single followed by an RBI single from Lane Hailey. Later in the inning Bryce Grigg belted a 2 RBI double for the 4-0 lead.
Wa-Hi would not only pull even but take the lead with their own big inning in the 4th and it was started with Futa Ikuma hitting a towering blast over the left field wall for a round-tripper. Joe Yenney then got on with a belt to left field followed by another long hit to left by Connor Lemma. Gus Calzaretta then singled followed by another single from Mason Knowles scoring a run. Lead-off hitter Anders Davidson then hammered a shot to the gap for a 2-run double and Dexter Aichele followed up with another hit and the Blue Devils were up 5-4.
Wa-Hi would add what they thought was an insurance run in the 5th. Turner Edwards would get on by error and come home on a 2-out double by Lemma to make it 6-4. Lemma would then get picked off at 2nd by Ethan Sanders to end the inning with 2 runners on base.
The Suns came back in the top of the 6th with another 4 spot. Ryan Sanders with a lead off base hit followed by a double from Mason Martin. Jashaun Simon knocked 2 home with a double and then Jake Harvey brought Simon home with a stand-up triple. Kyle Harvey then slapped a single to bring home Jake to make it 8-6. Southridge added another run in the top of the 7th when Simon singled with 2 out and scored on a double from Jake Harvey.
Walla Walla had one last chance and with 2 out Ikuma on 1st Ikuma got picked off by relief pitcher Carter Davis to end the game 9-6. That pick-off combined with the earlier pick-off from Ethan Sanders were combined to win our ProActive Physical Therapy play of the game.
Our Tommy Lowe of the Greene Realty Group Players of the Game went to Jake Harvey of Southridge and Joe Yenney for Walla Walla.
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Game 3: Chiawana 7, Pasco 5
(Pasco, WA) The only thing on the line in this game was Pasco trying to get their 1st league win and Chiawana not wanting to be the only team to lose to the Bulldogs. Both teams knew they would have to play each other again next week in a loser out play-in game.
Pasco came out with their game faces on so to speak scoring 5 runs in the 1st 2-innings. Jacob Koenig-Smith would double with 1-out. Starting pitcher Dominick Monville would infield single holding Koenig-Smith at 2nd. Emilio Davila then sharply singled to center and Koenig-Smith was sent home but was gunned down at the plate on a beautiful relay by Chiawana.
Zeff Rivas then saved the inning with a 2-out triple scoring 2 and Trevor Crawford singled scoring Rivas giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead after 1. It would be 5-0 after 2 when the Bulldogs led off the 2nd with Omar Avila singling, Miguel Perez would ground into a fielder’s choice followed by another ground out and there were 2 outs. Koenig-Smith walked and then Monville tripled knocking in both for 2 more RBI.
Chiawana would begin to chip away at the 5-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd scoring 1 on a Corey Salinas RBI double scoring Brayde Hirai. They would add their 2nd run in the 3rd when Andrew Vargas singled and scored when Bristol McElroy knocked him in with a single.
The Riverhawks would add 2 runs in each of the 4th and 5th innings. In the 4th Miguel Barragan led off with a hit, Hirai would get aboard on an error. Ben Garza the starting pitcher would then help his own cause with an RBI single. Craziness then ensued when Salinas singled in Hirai. Troy Simpkins then flied out to center fielder Keaton Stewart who made a spectacular catch on his back. Salinas took off and was sent home but Stewart hit his cut-off man perfectly and they got Salinas at home for the incredible double play.
In the 5th inning Trent Simpkins led off with a triple and would score the tying run when Vargas doubled, this would win our ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game. Vargas would score the go-ahead run when Anthony Vega grounded to short. The Riverhawks added an insurance run in the 6th when Salinas singles and scored on a sac fly by Trent Simpkins.
Pasco would threaten a couple of other times but could never add to their 5 runs they scored in the 1st and 2nd innings. Our Tommy Lowe of the Greene Realty Group Players of the Game went to Corey Salinas for Chiawana and Dominick Moinville for Pasco.
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Game 4:
(Pasco, WA) Richland had to win to clinch the league title and a trip to the State Regionals, a loss would mean a tie with Walla Walla and a play-off game to determine the #1 seed.
After 2 scoreless innings the Bombers would get on the board first when Casey Perryman walked with 1 out and would be brought home with a huge shot by Josh Mendoza who tripled in the 1st run. Mendoza then made a base running error when he thought a low pitch got by catcher Tyson Brown but Brown had knocked it down. By the time Mendoza realized Brown had the ball he had committed and tried to avoid the tag but could not and was out at home.
The Bombers added to their lead in the 4th when Cade Musick got on by fielder’s choice. Derek Harder would come in to run for Musick and would score on an error to make it 2-0.
Kamiakin evened the game in the bottom of the 4th when Mike Jones blasted a shot to the left field fence for a lead-off double and scored when Nate Gee followed suit with a double into the right-center gap and it was 2-1. After moving to 3rd on a sac fly Gee would score the tying run on a deep grounder to short by Matt Rowell for the RBI.
Richland re-took the lead in the top of the 6th when Musick again led off with a walk and Harder came into run. Guffy was hit by a pitch and the 2 runners would get moved over on a sac bunt from Jason Webb. Adam Weisenfels then slapped a base hit for the go-ahead run and runners were left on the corners. Relief pitcher Chase Krumm then threw to 1st trying to get Weisenfels when Guffy broke for home. 1st baseman Matt Rowell then threw home to get Guffy and catcher Will Koskinen fired down to 2nd as Weisenfels tried to take 2nd and the Braves had a throw em out, throw em out double play.
Kamiakin would get the equalizer in the bottom of the 6th. Mike Jones walked with 2 outs, stole 2nd and then scored on a grounder to 1st off the bat Koskinen that got by Bombers 1st baseman Marcus Sparks and ended up in shallow right field.
The Bombers took the lead back in the top of the 7th taking advantage of a hit batsman. Perryman led off getting on after getting beaned. Perryman would steal 2nd and then score on another base hit from Mendoza and Richland was 3 outs from winning the game.
Cameron Jenkins came out to try and get the complete game win but with 1 out walked a runner and gave up a base hit and the Braves had the tying and winnings runs on base. Mike Wilson came in to relieve Jenkins and faced Brady Bush. Bush singled to bring in the tying run and with the winning run now on 3rd Logan Smith came to the plate. Smith then ripped one into left field with the infield and outfield in it was the game winning hit and RBI.
Richland drops to 9-5 tied with Walla Walla and the 2 will now have to play a play-off game on Tuesday to determine 1st and 2nd seed. Kamiakin came up short of finishing in the top 2 at 8-6 a game behind the top 2. However, no one may be playing better than the Braves and they will take on Hanford in a play-in game with the winner playing the #2 seed for a trip to Regionals.
Our Tommy Lowe of Greene Realty Players of the Game went to Kamiakin’s Logan Smith and Richland’s Josh Mendoza. Our ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game goes to Braves pitcher Chase Krumm and the defense for that crazy double pick-off play in the 6th inning keeping the Bombers from adding more than 1 run.
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